Christmas Cheers

Merry Christmas!

Chris Garneau - "Christmas Song"

Top 10 Songs Part II - 2007

5. Winter Family - "Garden"

The duo behind Winter Family consists of Israeli singer Ruth Rosenthal, who writes her texts in Hebrew and English, and French musician Xavier Klaine, who plays piano, harmoniums and pipe organ. I came across this enchanting song during my daily perusal of motel de moka and instantly "Garden" gave me chills at first listen. Then I played it ten more times to just begin to absorb it. Can I say that the lyrics are so ridiculously romantic and charming? And Ms. Rosenthal's vocals are beautiful, as are the independent background vocals. The subtle tinkling of the piano in the background is probably the only reason why I would go back to learn more piano, so I could play these types of melodies.

"I remember

I saw you coming closer and closer to me
And maybe it was excitement, I don't know
But I was paralyzed
I fell on my knees
It was me, you
It was... us... finally"

4. Badly Drawn Boy - "Promises"

Badly Drawn Boy has been getting some mediocre reviews for the past album or two that he's churned out, but I'm one of those that doesn't buy into the negatives on this guy. His music is too good and I continue to faithfully buy what he puts out (within reason. A cover album of Abba songs would probably sour my affection for him just a little). He didn't come out with anything new this year in terms of albums, but he did release this single through iTunes and I instantly snagged it when I saw it featured under new releases. It was one of my favorite iTunes purchases this year. I appreciate how "Promises" layers on itself as it progresses, nothing too fancy, but enough to have me putting this song on permanent repeat status. It's a sad song (what else is new) and consistently socks me in the gut. No better combination.

"I promise you will get old
I promised you everything
To protect you wherever you go
I'll give you this diamond ring

Just promise you will remember
A promise should last forever
Right up to the dying embers
Of a fire that burns so slow"


3. Pete Yorn - "Lose You"

Nothing against Pete, but the studio version has always sounded like his voice and emotions are dead, though the use of organs towards the end is personally very enjoyable. Then I listened to his one on the Live From New Jersey album and it knocked me back. It had that appropriate sadness for the lyrics, yet the interaction with the audience brings some levity (and it shows he's an amazing live singer). I would date him, with it ending good or bad, just in hopes he would write a song like this for me. As long as he doesn't call me out by name in his liner notes, I'm ok with it.

"I don’t need a better thing
I’d settle for less
It’s another thing for me
I just have to wander through this world
Alone"



2. Arcade Fire - "Keep the Car Running"


The end of 2006 is the when I discovered Arcade Fire and their album Funeral. Then March of 2007 came along and *WHAM* Neon Bible was released. I was genuinely giddy while listening through the tracks, and that sadly doesn't happen so often anymore to me with new music. "Keep the Car Running" is just one of many tracks from Neon Bible that hits me in all the right places and makes me come back for more.

"There’s a weight that’s pressing down.
Late at night you can hear the sound.
Even the noise you make when you sleep.
Can’t swim across a river so deep.
They know my name 'cause I told it to them, But they don’t know where
And they don’t know
When It’s coming, when It’s coming."



1. Peter Gabriel - "San Jacinto"

There's not much to say about "San Jacinto" other than I do a little fist pump of victory every time it plays on my iPod. Following the fist pump comes a sing-along. An hour later the urge to see Secret World Live DVD appears. Then I scour the internet to see if he will ever come back to southern California to do a concert. The answer is usually no. I'm sad about this truth for a few minutes, but "In Your Eyes" comes on the radio sometime after that and all is well again in Peter Gabriel lovefest land.

"I hold the line - the line of strength that pulls me through the fear
San Jacinto - I hold the line
San Jacinto - the poison bite and darkness take my sight - I hold the line
And the tears roll down my swollen cheek - think I'm losing it - getting weaker
I hold the line - I hold the line
San Jacinto - yellow eagle flies down from the sun - from the sun"



Runner-Ups:

Sufjan Stevens - "Super Sexy Woman"
Quirky, frisky lyrics and something out of the ordinary for Sufjan.


Radical Face - "Along the Road"
The creaking boards and the low notes that he's not quite reaching, the piano tinkling along, the low hums... It all just works.


Laura Veirs & Saltbreakers - "To the Country"
I really like Laura Veirs. Her music is consistently good and this was my favorite track from her new album. It's simple, clean, and has clapping incorporated into it. How can that fail?



Sea Wolf - "Leaves in the River"
A cool instrumental intro that I wanted to last the whole 5 minutes. But it nicely sets up the rest of the very pretty song. Sea Wolf was a great find this year.




Snow Patrol - "Finish Line"
It's back to my compulsive preference towards "night time" mood songs. And it's not their song "Crashing Cars", so win win for everyone!

Lovely Lovely Food

"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating."
Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright

I'm a creature of habit when it comes to food. I find something I love, I then have to somehow incorporate it into my daily menu. Here's a few of the foods that I love, and really believe I could live off of any of these foods/meals if I needed to.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches - Apricot jam, Boysenberry jam, Blackberry jam, whatever. If it's combined with chunky peanut butter and warm whole wheat pita bread from Trader Joe's, I am giddy and satisfied for life. Back when the show Big Brother had PB&J as a food punishment, I always knew that I would thrive on that show. Laziness + the occasional physical/mental challenge + others crying on PB&J while I gain strength = the easiest million dollars I will ever make. Thank you, peanut butter and jelly!

“Peanut butter is the pâté of childhood."
Florence Fabricant

Cashews, Pistachios, and Peanuts - I really think it's possible to live off these nuts. My brothers and I usually polish off the whole cannister of cashews and peanuts within a week with a big fat smile on our faces while doing so. The pistachios are left to me and my dad to finish, without much difficulty.

“No man in the world has more courage than the man who can stop after eating one peanut.”
Channing Pollock

Bread - Sure, it's simple. But good bread is disturbingly amazing. I only eat 100% whole wheat, which I have grown to really love. All bread is tasty in its own way, and back in the day when I did eat whatever I craved, there were some mighty good times what with the lovely fresh out of the oven crusty french bread (either dipped in buttermilk or honey) or sourdough bread with a little bit of plum jam or butter. Now I stick with Ezekiel whole wheat bread and Trader Joe's whole wheat pita, which isn't a bad compromise if you've tasted these tasty breads. I recommend the cinnamon and raisin Ezekiel bread because it's still healthy and I can sneak in a little sweetness without guilt. Huzzah!

“If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.”
Robert Browning

Cheese - I admit it. I'm a cheese whore. My dinners can consist of just a mini platter of assorted cheeses that I had horded into the cart at Costco, Sam's Club or Trader Joe's. New York Sharp Cheddar, Swiss, smoked Mozarella, marinated Mozarella, Caşcaval (Romanians for the win), Gruyere, Blue, Roquefort, Feta (French only, please), Mascarpone, Fontina, chunks of Parmesan, Provolone, Asiago, heck even regular cheddar is amazing. The list could go on, but I heartily endorse all of those favorites. High-Five for cheese!

"A cheese may disappoint. It may be dull, it may be naive, it may be oversophisticated. Yet it remains, cheese, milk's leap toward immortality."
Clifton Fadiman

Bread and Cheese (AKA Grilled Cheese Sandwich) - Genius creation.

Tomatoes and salt - This is my staple food for 90% of my meals as it's a perfect companion food. Cut up, with kosher or sea salt sprinkled over. And maybe doused in some Cholula if I feel a little feisty. Tomatoes are my #1 vegetable (or is it really a fruit? Bah, like it truly matters which category it belongs in. It's healthy and yummy, which should be a category in itself).

"A world without tomatoes is like a string quartet without violins."
Laurie Colwin

Tomato and Feta Cheese Salad - This is the old standby. Don't know what side to include with your grilled chicken? Bust out a tomato and feta cheese salad. What can you make quickly on the fly to satisfy those pangs of hunger? Tomato and feta cheese salad. Want to impress dinner guests with some mad salad skills? Boom, just tomato and feta cheese salad their asses. It's a win win in every situation this salad is made. Add red onion plus green peppers and it's pure gold you're devouring. Though the best kind is the homemade kind, because having ordered this in various restaurants has taught me that only you or your mom can make the best, everyone else basically sucks.

Fruit - I'm always a little shocked when I hear people say they don't really care for fruit. It's nature's sweet delicious candy. But to them I say, "More for me, suckers!" The wimpering and crankiness skyrockets when I'm denied this essential food, and will 99% of the time never refuse fruit that's offered to me, unless I just had too much and I get that weird bloated belly thing happening. The way to tell if I have been afflicted with fruit bloat is if you see me groaning on the couch and still trying to pop in another grape or slice of apple.
Daily, I eagerly await the fruit snack and merrily skip to the fridge with bowl in tow to start cutting up and eating the mango, pineapple, blackberries, apples, tangerines, or whatever other colorful food catches my eye. The whole time in London I hadn't had any fruit because I seriously didn't trust the stuff hanging outside the little hole in the wall markets they had going. On the flight back from London, I hungrily ripped through a little bag of grapes they served and begged my brother if I could have his bag too. I gave him my chocolate from the meal, so I think we both came out on top with that deal.

“Give me book, fruit, French wine, and fine weather and a little music out of doors played by someone I do not know."
John Keats

Deli Meats from the Local German or Italian Store - I cheer when my parents come home with plastic bags filled with those white paper-wrapped goodies of meats and cheeses. Though I do avoid head cheese like the plague. It frightens me and no one can talk me into ever eating it, short of trying to hide it under some salad leaves or some Cholula or something so I couldn't identify it. Don't get any ideas.

"My favorite animal is steak."
Fran Lebowitz

Just pray for me that I will never add any Romanian foods to this list in the future. My motto is Just Say No To Sarmale. It's kept me out of a lot of trouble so far.


Sufjan Stevens - "Sister Winter"

Top 10 Songs Part I - 2007

2007 - It was a pretty great year in many respects. Some highlights are : I got into grad school, hell, I finished my undergraduate degree; I'm in London for nine days (a post recapping all that glory later); I was 21 for most of the year; and I went on a entertainment overload rampage with movies, T.V. and music, which sounds a little sad but it really isn't. At least in my head it isn't and that's where it counts. So that leads to the first of a series of posts that will list and dissect what my favorite things were the past year. Music! Since I absorb so much music yearly I can never settle on just a 5, or even a 10 for me is a struggle. But I forced myself to just stick with a top 10 and here's the #10-6 countdown.

[Destroy All Evidence (Nicole) and I are trying to pump these out together around the same time, but my being out of the country has caused a little delay. But London I guess is a modern city or something, because I see Internet Cafes strewn everywhere, and it's fun to get an internet fix amidst all the walking, play-watching, and shopping.]

10. Bear McCreary - "Reuniting the Fleet"

My favorite drama show and hands down the best score on T.V. This song is all inspirational, motivational, and kickass-ational. It's mostly guaranteed that a track from soundtrack season 3 or 4 will make its way onto the 2008 mix because Bear is surefire composer.


9. Ryan Adams - "If I'm a Stranger"

This version is a bit scratchy and rough but it has much more oomph behind it than the studio version. I dig it. A lot.

"For all the hours here that move to slow
There's all this letting go, that won't pass
If all this love is real, how will we know?
And if were only scared of losing it, how will it last?

If I am a stranger now to you
I will always be, I will always be
Stronger now than me, stronger than you
Our love will always be
If we let it go, I will try to be there for you
I will try to be there for you
I will try to be there for you"


8. Glen Hansard - "Say It To Me Now"

I had most of the songs to Once before I saw the movie and I was still affected by the songs. Glen Hansard's voice is like a dagger, it's so packed with emotion and power. Gorgeously sad song.

"Cause this is what you've waited for
A chance to even up the score
And as these shadows fall on me now
I will somehow

Cause I'm picking up a message Lord
And I'm closer than I've ever been before

So if you have something to say
Say it to me now"


7. Enigma - "Prism of Life"

Enigma - oh, how you bring me such joy. I'm not sure why, but a well-placed chorus of singers in a song can make me a happy girl. Sure it's cheesy, but I really don't see why some Euro cheese can't be a good part of the music diet.

"And when it seems that we're in a dead end street
There's no reason to cry
Cause we have a helping hand who's always aside"


6. Delirious? - "Our God Reigns"

The combination of old-school use of choir and traditional chorus lyrics mixed with modern issues and a soaring climax make for a potent song. Throw in gorgeous piano and violins for good measure and it has hit the near top of my favorites. Oh, and they're British.

"The west has found a gun and it’s loaded with ‘unsure’
Nip and tuck if you have the bucks in a race to find a cure.
Psalm one hundred and thirty nine is the conscience to our selfish crime,
God didn’t screw up when he made you,
He’s a father who loves to parade you."

Bra My Brains Out

Can I say that I HATE the Playtex Bra commercials that have been popping up on T.V. recently? Like, I honestly want to let out a primal scream and then get in my car to drive over a cat, any cat will do, every time it comes on. Let's put aside that Playtex is at best a mediocre bra, but these things are ugly as hell and the main comment from one of these "real" women is how hot the new bras look. I stare at them and pray that I am never subjected to having to wear it even as a torture device. Another lady declares that finding a good bra is like finding a good man. Listen, there's a store called Victoria's Secret that most likely you will find within a 10 mile ratio of your trailer. Save $40, go there, and buy a dumb supportive bra rather than be in a commercial where you are seen my millions wearing only a nightmarish bra and your tan-colored undies. No one, save your convict boyfriend, wants to see that mess. And the lady that stores her gummy bears and cell phone in her bra, I get it. That's your little party trick and the kids will clap and cheer for the crazy blonde lady, but it serves no purpose to store your junk there (sweat + gummy bears = death. Trust me).

Yes, I have DVR, and yes I can forward through commercials. But every so often I encounter what they call "Live TV" and I then suffer through real time commercials. So all I ask this holiday season is that Playtex just put all of those commercials on the Oxygen channel, where I will never venture over to watch. Oh, and please slap the redhead at the end that says with some sort of a lisp, "Tanks, Playteks!".

The offending video here.

Nourallah Brothers - Christmastime

I'm In.

HOLY MOTHER, I did it. I was accepted to the graduate program at my university. After months and months of inner turmoil, of nagging and whining to friends and family about how stupidly hard the process was, of figuring out what I would do in terms of career if I wasn't accepted (Physical Therapist or Special Education Teacher), and of just trying to get along and become friends with the knot that developed in my stomach so many moons ago, I somehow muscled my way in to the program. Don't ask me how, because I was pretty confident that I would be borderline or wait list material. Not because I suck hard or anything like that, my skills and the "completeness" of my overall package are actually pretty stellar, if I do say so. It's just that this major is 99.9% female, and that means the manicured claws are always sharpened and ready to slice. But I guess I brought the right kind of shiv to this fight.

The past few weeks since turning in the whole application packet, the news began to trickle down, i.e. I listened in on people's conversations in class. Hey, at least I try to be inconspicuous. I leave my earbuds in and pretend to listen to my ipod while I have my nose in a book cracked open. Word to the wise, don't trust people who do that. They are totally listening in on your conversations. Anyway, the information that I would hear being chattered would be which stage of the process the committee was on, how many actual spots there were available for Spring (12. I wept just a little after hearing that), and that the calls would be going out during the week before finals. My good friend Knot grew and tightened with that latter information.

When I came home from class Tuesday night, I assembled a night time snack of tangerines and some cashews and set it down in anticipation for watching some of the terrible and cheesy Christmas made-for-TV movies I've been DVR'ing. I went upstairs to change and saw that my phone's message light was flashing. My heart ricocheted for a few seconds as I played the message, and when the voice of a certain head of the department came out of the speakers I let out a muffled scream and started hopping around my room before fumbling and spazzing for a pen and paper to write down the phone numbers he was giving me. Calls immediately went out to family and friends as I shrieked to them and then proceeded to dance around to my pre-made "Grad School, Onward!" playlist. Now I have a strut and a smirk permanently attached, just as it should be.

The biggest burden feels like it's finally been lifted and now it's all on me to do well rather than having to worry about what your fellow student is up to and being secretly glad that they didn't do so hot on a test. One of the chosen, and it feels so good.


The Emmaus Group Singers - "Eyes on the Prize"


This song has helped me get through the past three semesters (Fun Fact: It was on my 2006 Best Of Mix too. It lives on). I play it before a test or when my stress level gets too uncomfortable. Sure, it's a Civil Rights song from the movie Green Card that I hijacked for my own purposes, but it's a sanity saver so I will continue to play it as I now officially consider it my musical lucky charm.